Environmental and health impacts of fine and ultrafine metallic particles: Assessment of threat scores

• Published in: Environmental research 2014-08, Vol.133, p.185-194
• Main Authors: Goix, Sylvaine, Lévêque, Thibaut, Xiong, Tian-Tian, Schreck, Eva, Baeza-Squiban, Armelle, Geret, Florence, Uzu, Gaëlle, Austruy, Annabelle, Dumat, Camille
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: (Eco)toxicity; Air; Air. Soil. Water. Waste. Feeding; Aliivibrio fischeri; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; ANTIMONY OXIDES; Applied ecology; Assessments; ATMOSPHERES; Bioaccessibility; Biological and medical sciences; CADMIUM; Cadmium compounds; Cadmium Compounds - toxicity; CADMIUM OXIDES; Cell Line, Tumor; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; CHEMICAL PROPERTIES; Chemical Sciences; CLASSIFICATION; Copper - toxicity; COPPER OXIDE; COPPER OXIDES; CUPRIC OXIDE; CURRENTS; DISSOLUTION; DOSES; Ecotoxicology; Ecotoxicology - standards; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; EMISSION; Environment and Society; Environment. Living conditions; Environmental Pollutants - toxicity; Environmental pollutants toxicology; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Fine and ultrafine metallic particles; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; HAZARDS; Humans; IMPACT PROPERTIES; IN VITRO; Inorganic chemistry; Lead - toxicity; LEAD OXIDES; LEAD SULFATES; Life Sciences; MANAGEMENT; Medical sciences; Metal Nanoparticles - chemistry; Metal Nanoparticles - toxicity; Metal particles; Metal(loid)s; Metals - chemistry; Metals - toxicity; Metals and various inorganic compounds; OXIDATION; Oxidative Stress; Oxides - toxicity; PARTICLES; Particulate Matter - chemistry; Particulate Matter - toxicity; POLLUTION; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Risk Assessment; Risk management; Solubility; Speciation; STRESSES; Threat scores; TOXICITY; Toxicology; Trace Elements - toxicity; Zinc Oxide - toxicity; ZINC OXIDES
• ISSN: 0013-9351; 1096-0953
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2014.05.015

This study proposes global threat scores to prioritize the harmfulness of anthropogenic fine and ultrafine metallic particles (FMP) emitted into the atmosphere at the global scale. (Eco)toxicity of physicochemically characterized FMP oxides for metals currently observed in the atmosphere (CdO, CuO, PbO, PbSO4, Sb2O3, and ZnO) was assessed by performing complementary in vitro tests: ecotoxicity, human bioaccessibility, cytotoxicity, and oxidative potential. Using an innovative methodology based on the combination of (eco)toxicity and physicochemical results, the following hazard classification of the particles is proposed: CdCl2~CdO>CuO>PbO>ZnO>PbSO4>Sb2O3. Both cadmium compounds exhibited the highest threat score due to their high cytotoxicity and bioaccessible dose, whatever their solubility and speciation, suggesting that cadmium toxicity is due to its chemical form rather than its physical form. In contrast, the Sb2O3 threat score was the lowest due to particles with low specific area and solubility, with no effects except a slight oxidative stress. As FMP physicochemical properties reveal differences in specific area, crystallization systems, dissolution process, and speciation, various mechanisms may influence their biological impact. Finally, this newly developed and global approach could be widely used in various contexts of pollution by complex metal particles and may improve risk management. •Seven micro- and nano- monometallic characterized particles were studied as references.•Bioaccessibility, eco and cytotoxicity, and oxidative potential assays were performed.•According to calculated threat scores: CdCl2~CdO>CuO>PbO>ZnO>PbSO4>Sb2O3.